Could Tarik Skubal alter WBC plan? ‘One of the tougher decisions I’ve made in my career’

HOUSTON — There stood Tarik Skubal in a place he did not have to be — and one he is now struggling to leave. Pitchers and position players from a plethora of countries chose not to participate in the World Baseball Classic, fearing injury or the interruption of meticulous preparation for the regular season.

Skubal assumed more risk than all of them. He is a healthy regular season away from becoming one of the highest-paid starting pitchers in baseball history. Skubal’s current club, the Detroit Tigers, loosened their purse strings this winter in pursuit of an American League pennant during Skubal’s final guaranteed season in their uniform.

“(Team USA) totally gets what is going on with my situation. It’s unique. I’ve had these discussions with people, and most of them are extremely supportive of me being here in the first place,” Skubal said after throwing the first three innings of Team USA’s 9-1 win over Great Britain.

“I have a ton of respect for that. It’s just hard. When you get into these environments, when you get this team, it’s hard to walk away from that.”

Now, Skubal might not. His plan all along had been to make one WBC start before reporting back to Tigers camp in Lakeland, Fla. Saturday’s game, the groundswell of emotions around it and the camaraderie inside Team USA’s clubhouse have changed Skubal’s calculus, leaving the two-time defending Cy Young winner facing “one of the tougher decisions I’ve made in my career.”

“I didn’t expect these types of emotions to run through my brain or my thoughts to differ. I was pretty committed to making a start and getting back to camp,” Skubal said. “Things have changed, obviously, that’s why I’m going to have some conversations to try and figure out a plan for me.”

Tarik Skubal delivers a strong three innings for Team USA 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/LOsbM6bmYY

— MLB (@MLB) March 8, 2026

About an hour after Team USA’s victory, Skubal said he had “been on the phone” with Tigers officials and his agent, Scott Boras, to determine his next steps. Skubal acknowledged he was “not in the right headspace to make the decision right now” and would discuss the matter further with his wife and family.

Presuming Team USA wins its next two games and advances from Pool B, it will play a quarterfinal game either March 13 or 14. WBC semifinals are March 15 and 16 before the championship game March 17. It’s unclear how Team USA would deploy Skubal should he decide to stay.

Discretion had bested valor from the beginning, when Skubal said earlier this month he would make only one start in the WBC. In explaining his rationale, Skubal said, “I understand the need to be here with these guys and get ready for the season,” while calling the arrangement “the best of both worlds.”

Yet, Saturday night, Skubal bounded out of the first-base dugout during an exhibition game at Daikin Park. Jay-Z’s “Holy Grail” accompanied Skubal on a saunter to the pitcher’s mound. A near-sellout crowd stood in applause, part of a scene not fit for March or Skubal’s third start during spring training.

“If this game were just about Tarik, he’s sitting in Lakeland right now watching the WBC,” Team USA co-ace Paul Skenes said before the game. “But it’s not about him. It’s not about me. It’s not about any of us. It’s a whole lot bigger than us. I’m glad he answered the call.”

Skenes is a former Air Force Academy cadet. He helped convince Skubal to join Team USA during conversations at players union meetings in December. Patriotism has permeated this entire club, considered the strongest Team USA has ever fielded in the 20-year history of this tournament.

Skubal shares it. After Saturday’s game, he mentioned the many speakers brought in by manager Mark DeRosa to address the team.

“It just changes your perspective a little bit and how proud I am to be an American to go out there and pitch,” Skubal said. “There are people that make real sacrifices for me to go out and play a kids’ game. We’ll see.”

Team USA could have controlled this game against Great Britain without Skubal, the two-time defending American League Cy Young winner and most dangerous pitcher on the planet. That Skubal agreed to start it earned him respect from all corners of this star-studded clubhouse — one now preparing to perhaps win the WBC without him.

“For Skubes to come out here and do what he does and pitch us one game, I have (the) most respect for pitchers who come in and do it, because everybody knows he is going to get absolutely broken off next year, and he’s going to make more money than anybody as a starting pitcher,” Team USA first baseman Bryce Harper said Friday.

“For him to be able to do that and do it for us is something I respect out of him.”

Skubal threw 44 pitches across three terrific innings. Great Britain leadoff man Nate Eaton launched his first pitch of the game for a solo home run. Skubal retired nine of the next 10 batters he saw, generating 14 swings-and-misses while striking out five batters. Seven of the 16 fastballs he threw were 97 mph or harder.

Throwing 44 pitches is part of both Skubal’s regular-season buildup and the WBC’s structure. No pitcher is permitted to throw more than 65 pitches in pool play — one of the pitch count rules in place to protect arms during the tournament.

No other USA starting pitchers publicly revealed plans for an early exit as Skubal did before the tournament. None of them has a comparable situation to Skubal’s, either. He is on the precipice of generational wealth while also carrying the weight of an entire franchise on his shoulders. Risking either before the regular season begins is a dangerous gamble — one Skubal must wage if he decides to stick with Team USA.

“I want to play,” Skubal said, “but there’s a lot of stuff that factors in for this type of decision.”